Temporary binder



(No Model.)

A. L. BROWN.

TEMPORARY BINDER.

No. 320,622. Patented June 23, 1885.

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AARON L. BROWN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TEMPORARY BINDER.

EPLECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,622, dated June 23, 1885.

Application filed June 4, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AARON L. BROWN, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Temporary Binders; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that class of ternporary binders or receptacles for papers in which a movable presser or clamping-plate is used to bear upon and retain the papers in their place within the receptacle. It relates more particularly to that class of filing-receptacles in which the presser is united to the receptacle by arms having pivotal connection with the receptacle, and in which springs are applied to the arms, so as to hold the presser forcibly in contact with the papers, or to sustain said presser when it is thrown upwardly and backwardly for the insertion of papers beneath it.

Devices of the character above described have been heretofore constructed in which the arms supporting the presser have been pivoted near their inner ends to the inner faces of the sides of the receptacle, near the rear wall or back piece thereof, and in which leafsprings secured near the middle of said back piece, with their free outer ends arranged to bear upon the rear ends of the arms, have been used to rotate the arms upon their pivotal points, and to thereby throw the outer ends of the arms and the presser thereon either downwardly against the papers or upwardly and backwardly, according to the location of the inner ends of the arms with reference to the pivotal points thereof and to the springs.

In other devices of the class referred to the pivoted or vibrating arms carrying the presser have been provided with double cranks at their inner ends, which operate, in conjunction with double springs, to either depress the presser upon the papers or to hold said presser in an elevated position.

A principal objection to the prior devices of this class is, that they occupy valuable space in the receptacle, or require the latter to be made larger for their accommodation and for the accommodation of a given quantity of papers than would be otherwise necessary.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a construct-ion in the presser-arms and springs for operating the arms such that these devices will in no way interfere with papers within the receptacle or with the operation of an eXpa-nsible index when the latter is used. A further object is to improve the construction of the parts referred to in other particulars. To these ends the invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

The invention is herein illustrated in connection with a filing-case provided with a series of unattached index-sheets, between which the filed papers or documents are placed within the receptacle, said index-sheets being held within the case by means of a retaining post or rod, which is similar to one shown in an application for patent filed by me November 21, 1883.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a filing-case provided with a presser constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail section taken upon line at 00 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view of the rear of the plate shown in Fig. 3 and the parts attached thereto detached from the case.

In the accompanying drawings, the filing case or receptacle is indicated as a whole by the letter A. Said receptacle consists, as herein shown, of two side pieces, A, a bottom, A

and a back piece, A the latter being secured to the rear margin of the bottom and to :the rear ends of the sides. 13 are the index-sheets, provided with lettered projections upon their outer edges, and secured within the case by any suitable means. Such means, as herein shown, consist of a post or rod, 0, which is preferably secured in a groove, A formed in the central portion of the inner face of the back A and which passes through holes in projections on the index-sheets.

The receptacle A, as herein shown, is provided upon the upper margin of the back piece,A ,wit-h an inwardly-projectingledge,D, which acts as a stop to limit'the upward movement of the index-sheets or the contents of the case. Devices are also herein shown for removabl y securing the post within the re ceptacle. Such devices, being fully set forth in the application for Letters Patent above referred to, need not be here further described.

E is a clamping-plate or presser adapted to be inserted within the receptacle above the indexsheets, and connected with the recepta cle by means of arms F, pivoted both to the presser and to the inner faces of the sides A of the receptacle. The said arms F are preferably made of thin flat metal, and are placed with their broad faces close to the sides of the receptacle, so as to occupy little space and not interfere with the movement of the indexsheets betweenthem. The arms may be pivoted in any desired or preferred manner to the receptacle. The pivotal connection herein shown and preferably employed consists of studs f, inserted through the said arms and secured in plates G, attached to the inner faces of the sides A. The arms F are extended inwardly a short distance past their pivotal points or toward the back piece, A", and are constructed to engage springs H, which are secured to the sides of the receptacle in such manner as to swing or act upon the saidinner arms, F, in the direction of the planes of the said sides. Said springs are also arranged with reference to the pivotal points and to the rear extensions of the arms F in a familiar manner, so as to either carry said arms and the presser downwardly toward the bottom of the receptacle, or to hold said presser in an elevated position when not in use.

The springs H may be of any material or 0011- struction, and secured to the sides of the receptacle in any manner calculated to allow them to move in a plane parallel with the plane of rotation of the arms F. As herein shown, said springs are made ofspring-wire having a single coil and secured at one of their ends to the sides of the receptacle, the opposite or free end being in bearing upon the short arm of the pivoted lever-arm F. The. said springs are preferably located in recesses A in the sides of the receptacle,in order to avoid their taking up the space within the receptacle, and to enable the arms F to be placed close to the sides A. In this case the said arms F are provided with lateral projections or studs f, directed into engagement with the springs.

The recesses A may be formed in any desired manner in the sides of the receptacle as, for instance, they may extend entirely through the latter, or they maybe located either upon the inside or outside faces thereof. In case said recesses are upon the outside faces of the sides and the inner faces are continuous,the sides will be necessarily provided with curved slots similar to the slots G, concentric with the pivotal points of the arms, in order to allow the stud f to reach the spring within the recesses A As herein shown, and as preferred, however, the recesses A are made in the inner faces of the sides A and covered by the plates G, which are provided with curved slots G, through which the studs f project into position for engagement with. the springs H. In case the recesses A are extended entirely through the sides, as may be desirable when the sides are of relatively thin stuff, the plates G may obviously be extended over the outside of the sides A, so as to cover both sides of the recesses.

In the particular form of my invention herein shown the spring H. is attached tothe plate G at a point below the pivot f of the arm F, and is upwardly and rearwardly inclined from its point of attachment in position to bear upwardly and forwardly upon the studf, and said spring consists of a single wire provided with a spirally-coiled portion, H, held upon a stud, G, in the plate G, and attached at one end to the plate, so as to prevent the rotation of the coil upon the stud.

In the operation of the device constructed as above the spring Hoperates to press upwardly upon the stud f,whcn the latter is carried to the upper portion of the said spring, and to thereby press the outer ends of the arms F downwardly,and force the presser E, to which they are connected, toward the bottom of the filing-receptacle and against the papers therein. Said spring will yield in lifting the press or until the stud f has passed the point upon the spring-arm H opposite the pivot f and rests against the lower part of the said springarm, when the presser will be held by the spring in its elevated position.

The spring H, when made as above described, may obviously be secured at its upper instead of its lower end to the plate G, and will operate in such case in the same manner upon the arms. The particular form of the spring H is obviously immaterial. Thus, for example, a leaf-spring supported at both ends in position to bear upon the said stud, or other similarly-acting spring device, may be used for the purpose described with the same effect as the spring shown.

The free ends of the arms F may be pivotally connected with the presser in any desired manner, the construction of such connection herein shown consisting of a bar, F, attached at its ends to the said arms and extending longitudinally over the presser, and connected with the latter by sheet-metal strips 6, placed over the said rod and secured to the upper surface of the presser. The presser may, if desired, be provided with anysuitable handle, by which it may be grasped and lifted, a ring, I pivotally connected with the presser by means of the plate I, so that it may be folded flat when not in use, being herein shown for this purpose.

The important advantage of the construction and location of the springs for operating the presser herein described is, that thesaid springs do not take up any available space within the receptacle or render necessary anyincrease in its external dimensions. By making the arms flat and locating them close to the sides of the receptacle also,the arms are permitted to swing past the ends of the papers inthe receptacle, and the receptacle may be filled even with the top thereof without interfering with the action of the arms.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, wit-ha filing-receptacle and presser, of arms uniting said receptacle and pressenpivoted upon the inner faces of the opposite sides of the receptacle, and springs located within recesses in said sides, constructed to move in the direction of the planes of the sides and engaged with the said arms, substantiall y as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with a filing-receptacle and a presser, of arms uniting the said receptacle and presser, said arms being pivoted upon the inner faces of the sides of the receptacle, and provided with studs f, and springs located in recesses of the sides of the receptacle, constructed to movein the direction of the plane of said sides, and arranged to bear upon the studs f, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a filing-receptacle provided with recesses A and curved slots G in its sides, and a presser, of arms uniting the presser and filing-receptacle, said arms being pivoted upon the inner faces of the sides of the receptacle, and provided with outwardly-pro jecting studs f, passing through the slots G and entering the recesses A and springs H, located within said recesses and constructed to bear upon the studs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with a filing-receptacle provided with recesses A in its sides, and a presser, of arms F, attached to the presser, pivoted to the inner faces of the sides of the re-. ceptacle, and provided with studs f, plates G,covering the recesses A",and provided with curved slots G, for the entrance of the studs f, and springs H, secured within the said recesses, and constructed to bear upon the said studs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AARON L. BROWN.

Witnesses:

OLIVER E. PAGIN, W. J. OSGOOD. 

